Tag: Detective reviews

Comics Reviews: Batman 355, Detective 522, Brave & the Bold 194, Firestorm 8

Batman 355 coverBatman #355 – “Never Scratch a Cat” – Gerry Conway/Don Newton/Alfredo Alcala

This one starts with Catwoman freaking out about Bruce Wayne dating Vicki Vale. Last issue, Catwoman showed up at Vicki’s place to scare her off, but Vicki and Bruce kept dating, which is really putting Catwoman over the edge … even though she’s he one who dumped Bruce and left Gotham in the first place. Speaking of Bruce and Vicki, they’re driving home from a date when a cat-themed car appears on the highway behind them. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 355, Detective 522, Brave & the Bold 194, Firestorm 8”

Batman 354, Detective 521, Brave & the Bold 193, Firestorm 7

Batman 354 coverBatman #354 – “Showdown” – Gerry Conway/Don Newton/Alfredo Alcala

This one starts with Batman tearing down a wanted poster of himself. Apparently, Commissioner Pauling has canceled Batman’s special status with the police and declared him an outlaw, ordering the cops to shoot on sight. Batman sneaks into City Hall to confront Pauling and Mayor Hamilton Hill. Batman knows they’re working for Boss Thorne, Gotham’s secret puppet-master, and that Thorne tried to have Deadshot killed in prison to cover up the fact Thorne hired Deadshot to kill Bruce Wayne. Continue reading “Batman 354, Detective 521, Brave & the Bold 193, Firestorm 7”

Comics Reviews: Batman 353, Detective 520, Brave & the Bold 192, Firestorm 6

Batman 353 coverBatman #353 – “Last Laugh” – Gerry Conway/Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez/Dan Adkins

This one starts with the Joker practicing with a mini-crossbow for his next confrontation with Batman. Joker goes to a condemned hotel to meet up with his gang of henchmen. They weren’t expecting him and one guy is rather abrupt until he realizes who he’s talking to. Joker squirts him with his trick flower and the guy freaks, thinking it’s loaded with Joker Venom, but it’s just water. Unfortunately the snake hiding up Joker’s sleeve is genuine and the guy dies from its poisonous bite. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 353, Detective 520, Brave & the Bold 192, Firestorm 6”

Comics Reviews: Batman 352, Detective 519, Brave & the Bold 191, Firestorm 5

Batman 352 coverBatman #352 – “The Killer Sky” – Gerry Conway (plot), Paul Kupperberg/Don Newton/John Calnan

This one starts with Batman going to visit Jim Gordon in the hospital. Gordon was roughed up last issue by some crooked cops as a warning to him and his private eye partner (Jason Bard, who also got pounded) to stop investigating the recent mayoral election. To reinforce the message, the new Commissioner (Pauling) and one of his bent cops (McClosky) stop by to warn Jim again. Barbara Gordon is there and almost goes for Pauling’s throat, but it’s Batman showing up that gets Pauling and McClosky to leave. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 352, Detective 519, Brave & the Bold 191, Firestorm 5”

Comics Reviews: Batman 351, Detective 518, Brave & the Bold 190, Firestorm 4

Batman 351 coverBatman #351 – “What Stalks the Gotham Night?” – Gerry Conway/Gene Colan/Tony DeZuniga

Last issue, Batman was turned into a vampire by a guy called the Monk. The Monk’s sister Dala, is also a vampire and she turned Dick (Robin) Grayson into a creature of the night as well. This issue opens with Batman watching as Dick drops off Vicki Vale, Bruce Wayne’s current squeeze. Dick tries to give Vicki a goodnight bite, but he notices Batman swinging down and pulls back. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 351, Detective 518, Brave & the Bold 190, Firestorm 4”

Comics Reviews: Batman 350, Detective 517, Brave & the Bold 189, Firestorm 3

Batman 350 coverBatman #350 – “Nightmare in Crimson” – Gerry Conway, Paul Levitz/Gene Colan/Tony DeZuniga

Last issue, Dick (Robin) Grayson found out his ex-girlfriend (Dala) is a vampire. Unfortunately, he found out the hard way, after being kidnapped by Dala and bitten on the neck. He escaped and almost got run down by a priest on the highway. The priest took him to a hospital, where he’s now recovering. Robin has a fevered dream about Dala turning into a gothic monster and trying to kill him, and he wakes up to find Father Green watching him with worry. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 350, Detective 517, Brave & the Bold 189, Firestorm 3”

Comics Reviews: Batman 349, Detective 516, Brave & the Bold 188, Firestorm 2

Batman 349 coverBatman #349 – “Blood Sport” – Gerry Conway/Gene Colan/Alfredo Alcala

This one starts with Batman swinging around Hollywood, and I mean literally swinging, on his Batline. He’s in La-La Land to check out the Crime Academy, a school for crooks which he’s managed to infiltrate as Matches Malone. After killing some time, he calls home but there’s no answer. Batman finds that strange, since either Dick or Alfred should be there. But as we saw last issue, Dick (aka Robin) trailed his former girlfriend (Dala) to a spooky old country house where he got bashed on the head. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 349, Detective 516, Brave & the Bold 188, Firestorm 2”

Comics Reviews: Batman 348, Detective 515, Brave & the Bold 187, Firestorm 1

Batman 348 coverBatman #348 – “Shadow Play” – Gerry Conway/Gene Colan/Klaus Janson

This one starts with Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Alfred moving a bunch of stuff back into the original Batcave under Wayne Manor. That’s right, Bruce has finally decided to move back to the Manor, both as Bruce and as Batman. After almost getting squished when the giant penny rolls off its moorings, the trio are summoned by the doorbell upstairs. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 348, Detective 515, Brave & the Bold 187, Firestorm 1”

Comics Reviews: Batman 347, Detective 514, Brave & the Bold 186

Batman 347 coverBatman #347 – “The Shadow of the Batman” – Roger Slifer/Trevor von Eeden/Pablo Marcos

This is obviously a filler issue and Batman doesn’t even appear except in flashbacks, so I’m not going to spend too much time on it. Basically, it’s about a couple of punks (one is named Barry, we don’t learn the other guy’s name) talking about robbing a bank. Barry is worried, since committing a crime in Gotham is a great way to get your ass kicked by Batman. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 347, Detective 514, Brave & the Bold 186”

Comics Reviews: Batman 346, Detective 513, Brave & the Bold 185

Batman 346 coverBatman #346 – “Half a Hero …” – Gerry Conway/Don Newton/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with a couple of prison guards taunting Two-Face about his incarceration. Two-Face says nothing and just sits there flipping his coin, but in between flips, he disappears. The guards mount a search and find tire tracks outside, but he tracks are over an hour old. Batman comes up with the solution to the mystery … Two-Face hypnotized the guards with the spinning coin, giving him over an hour to get away before they came out of it. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 346, Detective 513, Brave & the Bold 185”